Digital map will help drivers avoid the jams

THE Shalford software development house Aligned Assets, in conjunction with the BBC, has released 200,000 copies of its "Digital Travel Assistant", software that displays live traffic reports on a digital roadmap.

The software, endorsed by Top Gear car magazine, has the look and feel of a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant). Utilising the European Broadcast Union's innovative TPEG digital radio code and internet technology, it transmits traffic incidents from around the UK direct to your PC.

The Digital Travel Assistant is an extension to supplement the BBC's existing new broadcasts on radio, Ceefax and the internet. Phil Gee, partner at Aligned Assets, said the technology demonstrated the type of software and news services that will be available in car navigation systems and pocket PC-style devices in the next few years.